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player ready...Diego “Chico” Corrales, whose high-risk boxing style was matched by turbulent days outside the ring, died in a high-speed motorcycle crash Monday night at age 29.
Corrales was wearing a helmet but was thrown from his recently purchased racing bike when he rammed into the back of a car. He was trying to pass on a residential street about seven miles from the Las Vegas Strip, according to police, who said Corrales was speeding, apparently did not have a valid motorcycle license and would be tested for drugs and alcohol.
“Chico lived and fought with reckless abandon,” said his promoter, Gary Shaw. “He skied fast, he rode fast. … He did the things that adventurers do. And when he got into the ring, it was an adventure.
“He epitomized what a fighter and a fight should be all about.”
Corrales burst into the boxing spotlight in 1999 with a stunning knockout of previously undefeated Roberto Garcia. That propelled him into a fight against John Brown for a 130-pound super featherweight title. He won that by decision, then followed with seven knockout victories and two knockout losses, to elite boxers Floyd Mayweather and Joel Casamayor.
After losing to Mayweather, Corrales went to jail on a domestic-abuse charge in 2001. He was away from boxing for two years.
Subsequently, he split two more bouts against Casamayor before moving up to knock out Acelino Freitas to win a lightweight title in 2004.
That set the stage for one of the most exciting bouts and single rounds in recent history. Knocked down twice by Jose Luis Castillo in the 10th round of their May 7, 2005, showdown, Corrales rose and stopped Castillo with a flurry in the same round.
His career foundered since, as he was knocked out by Castillo and lost decisions to Casamayor and Joshua Clottey. Corrales moved up two weight classes to 147 pounds for Clottey.
“I wasn’t going to let Diego go out like that,” promoter Shaw said, adding that he had hoped to bring Corrales back to 140 pounds for at least one more bout.
It wasn’t to be. Corrales’ final record was 40-5, with 33 knockouts.
Castillo, saddened to hear of his rival’s death, said, “We had two amazing fights and our names will be linked forever.
“For me, it was a privilege knowing Chico and being part of such great fights.”
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